Depression Therapy

Are You In the Pit of Depression?

Do you feel like each day is a titanic struggle just to do the things you used to do? Do you wonder if you will always be this way? Do you stay awake at night feeling hopeless about your life? You may also suffer from other depression symptoms such as isolation, and struggle with not being able to do the things you used to do. You may also want to just return to your old self before you felt so depressed.

Depression is More Common Than Many People Think

You aren’t unique in suffering from depression, although you might feel like it. Anywhere from 17 to 19% of the US population have suffered from depression at any given time, according to the US National Comorbidity Survey. There are many causes of depression, including losses and major life changes that can trigger it in people. Regardless of the cause, depression is one of the most treatable mental illnesses. Sometimes medications are necessary, but depression treatment with psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways to foster healing from depression and regain the functionality you once enjoyed.

Depression Counseling Can Help

You can expect to return to a functional life, finding ways to increase activity and feeling better, working through issues that led to feeling depressed in the first place by getting depression treatment. I can support improvements in diet and exercise that can also improve mood as well, as there are often numerous factors that contribute to clinical depression.

My first priority in working with you will be to establish a safe environment where you know we are partners in working to help in dealing with depression and restore your functionality and sense of wholeness. I offer some strategies and tips for diet and lifestyle change, but also focus on underlying causes and tailor my treatment focus to address these specifically.

I can tell you with appropriate help and support, you will heal from depression and you will feel a renewed sense of aliveness and purposefulness. I have worked for over 7 years with clients in Austin to help reverse depression, both in individual and group situations, and am confident my depression treatment can help you, too. I have trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Image Transformation Therapy (ImTT) to address underlying issues related to depression. All of these have been effective in treating depression. I have dealt with this issue in my own life, as well as in the lives of friends and family, and feel eminently qualified to help you with this as well.

What Might Keep You From Depression Treatment?

Some of the common questions that come up for people who are unsure about treating their depression include: Why not just take antidepressants, as long as I take these I’ll be okay? The problem with this is that it ignores the inherent value to talk therapy in depression treatment. Depression is typically a disease that flourishes in isolation, and the way out of that is through meaningful connection with others. This is typically promoted best though talk therapy, or psychotherapy. I like to think of it like a person who is trying to fight something: You want to use both hands to deal with it, and treating depression with medication alone is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back. You might win, but it isn’t as likely as if you’re fighting with both hands. Also, there is a strong relationship between loneliness and depression for certain age groups, so getting out of isolation can be crucial in getting depression help.

Another reason people avoiding treating depression is that they ‘don’t want to get into a lot of childhood stuff.’ This, too, is baseless; as most modern talk therapy doesn’t require going back into childhood to accomplish the work of treating depression. Sometimes it is helpful to look at childhood issues and the role they play in someone getting depressed, but re-experiencing the pain of these events isn’t necessary.

Another reason stay out of the therapist’s office is by thinking ‘Therapy is a lot of work. I just want to feel better.’ This doesn’t need to be the case. Sure, people have to change to get better, but most or all of the changes people make in therapy are positive, pleasant, and life-affirming changes. These are all good! Making changes can be scary, though; so not wanting to make these is perfectly understandable. You may have spent your whole life being this way, so making some changes can seem pretty daunting.

What Proof Do I Have I Can Help?

I have successfully worked with over a hundred individuals in recovering from depression, both using CBT, EMDR, and ImTT. I can tell you they almost without exception have regained functional status and significant alleviation of symptoms with my help. They have come from all walks of life, but have many of the same feelings and emotions you have had as part of the depressive experience. They were willing to get depression treatment, and would tell you not to wait to get help, too!

Don’t Wait Another Day to Get the Help You Need

All you have to do is pick up the phone to call me, or get on your computer or smart phone to e-mail me. I will call you back if I’m not immediately available to schedule an appointment within a 24 hour time frame. I’m also willing to schedule a free phone or face-to-face consult for 15 to 30 minutes if you want to get a sense of how I can help you and what it would be like to work with me. You can reach me at 512-374-0100 or e-mail me at scottklcsw@gmail.com.